Poly
As in many.
Hailing from Richmond, VA, Poly is the aural equivalent of stuffing fifty pounds of music into a five pound sack.
Poly explores life’s transforming moments and their bittersweet aftermaths. “The meandering pacing, melting melodies, and twisted vocals combine into musical surrealism at its best. It’s eerily familiar and delightfully different at the same time… …excursions that drill deep into the subconscious, intense and spooky, like they were ripped whole from a Tim Burton film.” The Richmond Music Journal
Poly combines the atmospheric subtlety of jazz and reggae backbeats with the lo-fi drive of the Velvet Underground. Then Their songs wander and wail, whimper and pout, all the time defying formula. Then they rock out in a hypnotic, surreal haze of power chords and outer worldly soloing. Understated yet intense, this four piece mixes reggae, garage, psychedelic and modern influences into a heady amalgamation. Think They Might Be Giants, Wilco or Toots and the Maytals playing The Stooges covers.
On their CD release “Majestic Wreck” front man Rudy Karkosak’s voice and melodies weave divergent instrumentation together like grandmother’s afghan- with slightly worn threads that are at once comforting and warm. “He can write one hell of a song- lyrics, arrangement, and melody…” The Hook Lyrics such as, “eyes shut, every car in traffic, is every cell inside my veins. Exposed, a language in the static, a song of joy in the refrain.” Illustrate a fascination with the workings of a fleeting moment. Lead guitarist Josh Bryant plays pitch and catch with Karkosak’s vocals to great effect while bassist Craig Weinstein and drummer Todd Woodson rise and fall like the tide – steady and perpetual motion.
The best art challenges categorization and Poly is humbly going down that path with a big machete in one hand and a book of poems in the other.